Article
Licensed
Unlicensed Requires Authentication

Optimization of the Thickness of PET Bottles during Stretch Blow Molding by Using a Mesh-free (Numerical) Method

  • , and
Published/Copyright: April 6, 2013
Become an author with De Gruyter Brill
Submit Manuscript Author Information
International Polymer Processing
From the journal International Polymer Processing Volume 24 Issue 3

Abstract

The stretch-blow molding process of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles generates some important modifications in the mechanical properties of the material. Considering, the process temperature (T > Tg) that is usually used, the material exhibits a very high viscosity and involves a strain hardening effect associated with the microstructure evolution. An anisotropic viscoplastic model coupled with induced properties, identified from experimental results of uniaxial and biaxial tensile tests previously published by Chevalier and Marco (2006), is presented in a first part of the paper. Secondly, we perform a numerical simulation to simulate the free inflation of a preform under an internal pressure with different parameters. Because the final strains are up to 300 to 400%, it generates important distortion of node distribution and we chose to use the mesh-free Constrained Natural Elements Method (C-NEM) for numerical simulation. The final goal is to use these simulations in order to fit the best parameter set leading to a quasi-homogeneous distribution of the thickness along the bottle. Homogeneous thickness implies homogeneous biaxial stretching and more uniform induced properties for the final bottle and this is an important industrial goal.

∗ Mail address: Luc Chevalier, Université Paris-Est, Laboratoire Modelisation et Simulation Multi Echelle, MSME FRE3160 CNRS, 5 boulevard Descartes, Champs sur Marne, 77454 Marne-la-Vallée, France. E-mail:

References

Belytschko, T., et al., “Element-Free-Galerkin Methods”, Int. J. Numer. Methods Eng., 37, 229–256(1994)10.1002/nme.1620370205Search in Google Scholar

Bonnebat, C., et al., “Biaxially Oriented PET Bottles: Effects of Resin Molecular Weight on Paraison Stretching Behavior”, Polym. Eng. Sci., 21(4), 189–237(1981)10.1002/pen.760210403Search in Google Scholar

Buckley, C. P., Jones, D. C., “Glass-rubber Constitutive Model for Amorphous Polymers Near the Glass Transition”, Polymer, 36, 3301–3312(1995)10.1016/0032-3861(95)99429-XSearch in Google Scholar

Cakmak, M., White, J.-L., “An Investigation of the Kinematics of Stretch/Blow Molding of Polyethylene Terephthalate Bottles”, J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 30, 3679–3695(1985)10.1002/app.1985.070300913Search in Google Scholar

Champin, C., “Modelisation 3D du Chauffage par Rayonnement Infrarouge et de l'Étirage Soufflage des Corps Creux en PET”, PhD Thesis, Ecole des Mines de Paris (2007)Search in Google Scholar

Chevalier, L., “Influence of Microstructure Evolution on Mechanical Strength of Blown Polyethylene Terephthalate”, Plast. Rubber Compos. Process. Appl., 28, 385–392(1999)Search in Google Scholar

Chevalier, L., et al., “Simulation of Free Blowing of Polyethylene Terephthalate Using a Thermodynamic Induced Crystallization Model”, Int. J. Form. Processes, 1, 29–59(2006)10.3166/ijfp.9.29-59Search in Google Scholar

Chevalier, L., Marco, Y., “Identification of a Strain Induced Crystallization Model for PET Under Uni- and Bi-Axial Loading: Influence of Temperature Dispersion”, Mech. Mater.39, 596–609(2006)10.1016/j.mechmat.2006.09.001Search in Google Scholar

Cosson, B., “Modélisation et Simulation Numérique du Procédé de Souffage par Bi-orientation des Bouteilles en PET: Evolution de Microstructure, Evolution de Comportement”, PhD Thesis, University Paris-Est (2008)Search in Google Scholar

Debbaut, B., Marchal, T., “3D Technology in Blow Molding: A Numerical Simulation”, J. Reinf. Plast. Compos., 17(10), 882–892(1998)Search in Google Scholar

Delaunay, B., “Sur La Sphère Vide”, Bulletin of Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 7, 793–800(1934)Search in Google Scholar

Deloye, E., “Effet de l'Architecture De Chaine Sur le Comportement en Injection Soufflage de Copolyesters PET-Etude Expérimentale”, PhD Thesis, Ecole des Mines de Paris (2006)Search in Google Scholar

Gorlier, E., et al., “Strain-induced Crystallization in Bulk Amorphous PET Under Uni-axial Loading”, Polymer, 42, 9541–9549(2001)10.1016/S0032-3861(01)00497-9Search in Google Scholar

Huang, H. X., et al., “Visualization Study and Analysis on Preform Growth in Polyethylene Terephthalate Stretch Blow Molding”, J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 103, 564–573(2007)10.1002/app.25116Search in Google Scholar

Kamal, M. R., et al., “Measurement and Calculation of Paraison Dimensions and Bottle Thickness Distribution During Blow Molding”, Polym. Eng. Sci., 21, 331–338(1981)10.1002/pen.760210604Search in Google Scholar

Khayat, R. E., Derdouri, A., “Inflation of Hyperelastic Cylindrical Membranes as Applied to Blow Molding. Part 1 And 2”, Int. J. Num. Methods Eng.37, 3773–3791(1994)10.1002/nme.1620372203Search in Google Scholar

Lucy, L. B., “A Numerical Apporach to the Testing of Fusion Process”, The Astronomic Journal, 88, 1013–1024, (1977)10.1086/112164Search in Google Scholar

Mahendrasingam, A., et al., “Influence of Temperature and Chain Orientation on the Crystallization of Poly(Ethylene Terephthalate) During Fast Drawing”, Polymer, 41, 7803–7814(2000)10.1016/S0032-3861(00)00129-4Search in Google Scholar

Marco, Y., “Caractérisation Multi-axiale du Comportement et de la Microstructure d'un Semi-Cristallin: Application au Cas Du PET”, PhD Thesis, ENS de Cachan (2003)Search in Google Scholar

Marco, Y., Chevalier, L., “Microstructure Changes in Poly(ethylene terephthalate) in Thick Specimens Under Complex Biaxial Loading”, Polym. Eng. Sci., 48, 530–542(2008)10.1002/pen.20967Search in Google Scholar

McEvoy, J. P., et al., “Simulation of the Stretch Blow Molding Process of PET Bottles”, Advances in Polymer Technology, 17, 339–352(1998)10.1002/(SICI)1098-2329(199824)17:4<339::AID-ADV5>3.0.CO;2-SSearch in Google Scholar

Menary, G. H., et al., “Numerical Simulation of Injection Stretch Blow Molding: Comparison with Experimental Free Blow Trials”, AIP Conference Proceedings907, 939–944(2007)10.1063/1.2729634Search in Google Scholar

Rosato, D. V.: Blow Molding Handbook, Hanser Publishers, Munich, New York(1989)10.1007/978-94-010-9658-4_4Search in Google Scholar

Sambridge, M., et al., “Geophysique Parameterization and Interpolation of Irregular Data Using Natural Neighbor”, Geophys. J. Int., 122, 837–857(1995)10.1111/j.1365-246X.1995.tb06841.xSearch in Google Scholar

Schmidt, F. M., “Etude Expérimentale et Modélisation du Procédé D'injection/Soufflage par Bi-orientation en Cycle Froid de Bouteilles en PET”, PhD Thesis, Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Paris (1995)Search in Google Scholar

Schmidt, F. M., et al., “Viscoelastic Simulation of PET Stretch/Blow Molding Process”, J. Non-Newtonian Fluid Mech.64, 19–42(1996)10.1016/0377-0257(95)01420-9Search in Google Scholar

Sibson, R., “A Vector Identity for the Dirichlet Tessellations”, Math. Proc. Camb. Phil. Soc., 87, 151–155(1980)10.1017/S0305004100056589Search in Google Scholar

Sukumar, N., et al., “The Natural Element Method in Solid Mechanics. Int. J. Num. Meth. Eng., 43, 839–887(1998)10.1002/(SICI)1097-0207(19981115)43:5<839::AID-NME423>3.0.CO;2-RSearch in Google Scholar

Thibault, F., et al., “Preform Shape and Operating Condition Optimization for the Stretch Blow Molding Process”, Polym. Eng. Sci., 47, 289–301(2007)10.1002/pen.20707Search in Google Scholar

Verron, E., “Contribution Expérimentale et Numérique aux Procédés de Moulage par Soufflage et de Thermoformage”, PhD Thesis, Ecole Centrale de Nantes (1997)Search in Google Scholar

Vigny, M., et al., “Constitutive Viscoplastic Behavior of Amorphous PET During Plane-strain Tensile Stretching”, Polym. Eng. Sci., 39, 2366–2376(1999)10.1002/pen.11625Search in Google Scholar

Voronoï, G. M., “Nouvelles Applications des Paramètres Continus a la Théorie des Formes Quadratiques. Deuxième Mémoire: Recherches Sur les Paralléloèdres Primitives”, J. Reine Angew. Math., 134, 198–287(1908)Search in Google Scholar

Wang, S., Makinouchi, A., “Contact Search Strategies for FEM Simulation of the Blow Molding Process”, Int. J. Num. Meth. Eng., 48, 501–521(2000)10.1002/(SICI)1097-0207(20000610)48:4<501::AID-NME887>3.0.CO;2-SSearch in Google Scholar

Yang, Z. J., et al., “Coupled Temperature – Displacement Modelling of Injection Stretch-Blow Molding of PET Bottles Using Buckley Model”, J. Mat. Process. Tech., 153–154, 20–27(2004)10.1016/j.jmatprotec.2004.04.203Search in Google Scholar

Yvonnet, J., et al., “A New Extension of the Natural Element Method for Non-convex and Discontinuous Problems: The Constrained Natural Element Method (C-NEM)”, Int J. Num. Meth. Eng., 60, 1451–1474(2004)10.1002/nme.1016Search in Google Scholar

Received: 2008-07-24
Accepted: 2009-03-30
Published Online: 2013-04-06
Published in Print: 2009-07-01

© 2009, Carl Hanser Verlag, Munich

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Contents
  2. Contents
  3. Regular Contributed Articles
  4. Investigation of the Thickening Efficiency of HEUR on the Behavior of Two Different Latex Types
  5. Optimization of the Thickness of PET Bottles during Stretch Blow Molding by Using a Mesh-free (Numerical) Method
  6. An Experimental Setup to Measure the Transient Temperature Profiles in Water Assisted Injection Molding
  7. Experimental Investigation and Flow Modeling of Slippage Induced by Additives in Polyolefins in a Modular Co-rotating Twin Screw Extruder
  8. In-mold Melt Front Rate Control Using a Capacitive Transducer in Injection Molding
  9. Structural and Rheological Properties as a Function of Mixing Energy for Polymer/Layered Silicate Nanocomposites
  10. Study on Kneading and Molding of PP/TiO2 Nanocomposite
  11. Sustainable Biocomposites from Rice Flour and Sisal Fiber: Effect of Fiber Loading, Length and Alkali Treatment
  12. On-line Measurement Studies on Orientation Development and Characteristic Short-Period Diameter Fluctuation in High Speed In-line Drawing of Poly(ethylene terephthalate) Fiber
  13. Micro Replication by Injection-Compression Molding
  14. Utilizing Processing Parameters for Evaluating Polymer Viscosity during Plastication in Injection Molding
  15. PPS-News
  16. PPS News
  17. Seikei Kakou Abstracts
  18. Seikei-Kakou Abstracts
https://doi.org/10.3139/217.2215

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Contents
  2. Contents
  3. Regular Contributed Articles
  4. Investigation of the Thickening Efficiency of HEUR on the Behavior of Two Different Latex Types
  5. Optimization of the Thickness of PET Bottles during Stretch Blow Molding by Using a Mesh-free (Numerical) Method
  6. An Experimental Setup to Measure the Transient Temperature Profiles in Water Assisted Injection Molding
  7. Experimental Investigation and Flow Modeling of Slippage Induced by Additives in Polyolefins in a Modular Co-rotating Twin Screw Extruder
  8. In-mold Melt Front Rate Control Using a Capacitive Transducer in Injection Molding
  9. Structural and Rheological Properties as a Function of Mixing Energy for Polymer/Layered Silicate Nanocomposites
  10. Study on Kneading and Molding of PP/TiO2 Nanocomposite
  11. Sustainable Biocomposites from Rice Flour and Sisal Fiber: Effect of Fiber Loading, Length and Alkali Treatment
  12. On-line Measurement Studies on Orientation Development and Characteristic Short-Period Diameter Fluctuation in High Speed In-line Drawing of Poly(ethylene terephthalate) Fiber
  13. Micro Replication by Injection-Compression Molding
  14. Utilizing Processing Parameters for Evaluating Polymer Viscosity during Plastication in Injection Molding
  15. PPS-News
  16. PPS News
  17. Seikei Kakou Abstracts
  18. Seikei-Kakou Abstracts
Downloaded on 14.4.2026 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.3139/217.2215/html
Scroll to top button